Heredity
by Kondoru
Summary: Leia Skywalker finds she is part of Darth Vaders legacy and doesnt like it one bit.
1. Chapter 1

HEREDITY By Kondoru

Thanks to JP for Betaing.

Standard Disclaimers.

* * *

This story is part of a larger story arc. It's a `Vader Lives` AU, so if you don't like that sort of thing, you have been warned.

When the Arc is finished I will take it down and put it in its correct place.

* * *

It all seemed so ordinary. But this day was one in which Leia Organa Solos life changed.

She and Han had been married a few weeks before. They had taken a long break, and now were returning to their novel occupation of trying to run the Empire.

But since this was Coruscant, they were having a discussion with a geneticist as to their future family. On that planet people generally checked for inheritable problems before they started such ambitious projects.

Dr Wutan was one of Coruscants finest genetic advisors. He was a grey furred old Bothan.

The happy but tired couple sat in his office awaiting his advice.

Han seemed free from problems...Aside the problems which came from having no background whatsoever.

Leia was far from simple.

"Your parents were Anakin Skywalker, Ahem, Jedi Knight, and Padme Amidala, the Elected Queen of Naboo?" Dr Wutan began.

Leia didn't rise to the polite cough before the term `Jedi Knight. `

Everyone knew about her -rather too intimate- relationship with Darth Vader.

...And it was not that of Torturer and victim...

"We have Queen Amidala's records here." He continued. "Do not worry about her, her genetic health is good. I mean, no one is free from inheritable problems but I can see nothing to worry about."

Leia nodded in relief.

"But it's um, your father."

"Yes." Said Leia, heart dropping. Han, that sleemo, sat back and smirked.

The Bothan brought up another screen. "He is a most fascinating character." Dr Wutan said in a fashion that suggested that though these facts were fascinating to him, they might be boring or negative to the newlyweds.

Han started laughing, "I knew Darth Blackarse had something going for him!" He sniggered, "and to think that heap of mechanical junk had it in him."

Leia gave her husband a whack. "Shut up before I kick you out." (It was so embarrassing to have a cyborg for a father. And an oik for a husband…)

"Anakin Skywalker did indeed, as you so crudely put it, `have it in him` before he was injured and placed in a life support suit..." The geneticist began. (Clearly he too was taking secret delight in the idea of Darth Vader having a love life.) "What do you know about midi-chlorians?" he asked conspirally.

Han shook his head. "Never went to school." He muttered.

"They carry the Force." Said Leia flatly.

"Midi-chlorians occur in most sentient species, -regardless of biology. It's speculated that they have a main effect of causing self-awareness." Dr Wutan sat back in his squeaky leather chair.

"But famously they carry the Force." Leia added again.

Dr Wutan smiled. "The vast majority of sentients have a very low count, -it's only in individuals that have high counts do we see manifestation of Force powers."

Han yawned rudely.

Dr Wutan brought up yet another incomprehensible chart. "Your father is right off the scale." He pointed to a peak on the graph. "You and your brother have also inherited that trait...as will your children."

"The Jedi as far as I know remained childless." Leia said.

Dr Wutan shook his head. "So we have no records of what might happen if they indulged in eugenics?"

"No Jedi breeding programmes."

"Anyhow it's more complex than some obscure branch of microbiology." he continued with a worried expression. Dr Wutan keyed up a new screen. "Looking here, Anakin Skywalker's mother was of standard Tatoonie peasant stock...Nothing remarkable there, but his father...Well..."

"I don't know who my father was" Han added in an attempt to look sympathetic.

Dr Wutan shook his head, "His `father` (and I use the term loosely as he seems to have over a dozen fathers) He's no normal human, but an artificial construct, created with the Force in mind."

Leia went pale. "I knew Darth Vader is a monster! Who did this?"

The old geneticist shook his head. "In the last days of the Empire there were passed many anti eugenics laws" Dr Wutan said softly. "Several reasons, to preserve genetic diversity, to allow equality in reproductive rights and also because we had little ideas of possible side effects in tinkering." He stopped.

"Then came the Clone Wars" said Han.

"The Clone Wars were a dark time in the Old Republic, a time we don't want to see again. You yourself have renewed these laws to prevent such hideous abuses of sentient rights."

Leia shook her head, "-and now it's all coming round to bite me." She was pale. "I cannot be seen to flaunt the laws."

"Leaders cannot." Han agreed.

Dr Wutan shook his head with sadness "You in all probability could have happy and healthy children, but they would all carry these artificial genes, and who knows what future problems might occur? And as I said it might be legally problematic for you to have children. Not only the genes, but the fact that their grandfather was such a morally challenged individual." he shrugged.

"That's a very nice term for my worst enemy." Growled Leia. "Don't shuffle around, call him a monster."

"It's up to you but I myself would be extremely reluctant to have children now I know all this." Dr Wutan shut off his holoscreen with a clunk. He looked old and scared.

"How about gene editing?" asked Han.

Dr Wutan shook his head, "-legally you are only allowed to edit out bad genes that lead to congenital disorders...genes that encourage midi-chlorians are not on this list. I'm sorry, It's not the answer."

Leia was thoughtful, there were many theories about her notorious parent, most of them dreadful. One of those theories was that Darth Vader had undergone some fancy gene editing surgery. Luke had told that though Darth Vader was a fearsome fighter, he was not as good as Anakin Skywalker...His cybernetics were not as agile, and more importantly, since he was now missing over 50% of his body, his Force function was diminished. Perhaps his abnormally high midi-chlorian levels had been boosted to compensate?

There were many worse.

When they got back home Han said. "You never told me about this."

Leia shook her head. "I never knew it was even a problem. Seems Darth Vader continues to haunt me? When will I ever be free of his evil?"

Han held her close. "When you overcome the darkness in your own heart."

"A Jedi answer if there ever was one." She sniffed.

He shrugged in that infuriating way of his that she loved. "What are you going to do?"

"Seems I need to go talk with someone...Someone who is far too close to me." She growled.


	2. Chapter 2

HEREDITY 2 By Kondoru

Thanks to JP for betaing

Standard Disclaimers

* * *

Leia remembered the last time she had spoken with her Father.

She had pardoned him, given him extremely expensive medical treatment that for the first time in over twenty years allowed him to live a normal life, or as normal life as a spiritually and mentally damaged multiple amputee could manage, even offered him a job on her committee, for galaxies sakes. She had put up with his quirks, his tantrums, and indeed even allowed him, her arch enemy to teach her the ways of the Force.

What she did not allow him to do was _be_ her father. She had publically disowned him. He was very hurt by this. (As was Luke.)

And, presumably because of this; Anakin Skywalker, Ex Jedi and Ex Sith, had walked out on her.

And as Luke sadly pointed out, she could do nothing about it. He was an adult, a mentally damaged adult to be sure, but his doctors had pronounced him sane enough to live with the minimum of intervention, after he had been pardoned he was technically a free man. (Though for all of their peace of mind Anakin was constantly monitored.) He was not a slave, (one of the facts that had got many of the Alliance on his side was his slave upbringing.) Leia had no right to order around her father. He wore a Force damping collar...Oddly he was seemingly fine with this. ("After all I have abused the Force that gave me life...I don't think I deserve to have it anymore.")

* * *

Leia sat in the pilot's seat of the Millennium Falcon. It was an `I'm taking the Falcon and you have no choice in the matter` day. She had chased Chewbacca out, who had been unhappy to leave until he saw the look on her face, and told Threepio to stay at home. (She didn't want the too garrulous robot saying anything that might make her quarry uncooperative; though her father got on wonderfully with droids she didn't want any diplomatic incidents.) Her sole companion was Artoo.

Never mind that Artoo was one of Anakins many sympathisers. (A group she was surrounded by, these days.)

Leia settled herself into the pilot's seat, and after adjusting it to her own comfort, (Adjustments she had no intention of putting back when she finished with the Falcon.) she began readying the engines. She switched on the Comm in order to contact Luke.

Luke was off on some meaningless to anybody but him Jedi project of his own, but he did pick up her comm. (Leia had never sussed out Luke.)

"Where is our miserable sire?" she demanded without preamble over Artoos excited whistling.

"What's he done now?" Luke was very fond of his father but didn't trust him further than he could throw an AT-AT.

By way of reply Leia sent him the doctor's files.

Luke read through them. "I'm not sure that Dad is responsible for genetic irregularities."

"This is DARTH VADER...He's capable of pretty much anything."

Luke hadn't the heart to correct his grudge bearer sister.

"I. Said. Where. Is. He." (There, you have made me speak nastily to my brother...)

"Today Tattoonie, tomorrow Hoth, next day Coruscant?" offered Luke unhelpfully.

"Stop licking Vaders ass!" Leia grouched.

"Try Naboo." And Luke Skywalker signed off.

Leia gave a sigh big enough to blow flimsies around the cabin. "Set course for Naboo." she ordered Artoo curtly.

* * *

"Are you looking for your father?" Asked the elderly senator whose name Leia hadn't quite caught. (Another symptom of her continuing aggravation; normally of course Leia was very good with names.)

Leia wanted to say `and why do you think I desire the company of Darth Sleemo? ` But managed not to.

"I hope you aren't going to try to kill him again?"

"Don't remind me of that." Leia managed to keep her calm. (Why was everyone conspiring to rile her up of late?)

It was true she had tried to remove him from the equation.

Of course everyone had taken that bastard's side, hadn't they?

And guess who had pleaded for her acquittal? (But then, it was _she_ (under an awful lot of pressure from her fellow politicians, the military and indeed the public) who had pardoned _him_.)

After spending the summer productively stuck in a cell while her father had taught her Force lore and how to avoid becoming a Sith. A subject he was a widely recognised authority on. (Haha.)

She had still kept her day job, which now for some reason seemed to contain all the paperwork her fellow Alliance politicians didn't fancy doing...Boy, was the Galaxy having fun with her.

Anakin had been aided, abetted and occasionally to Leia's suspicions fucked by his erstwhile `I am not a Jedi` Padawan Ashoka Tano, a not very reliable ally of the Rebels and all round Force using nut job. (And incidentally, no Jedi...)

(All Force users seemed to be off their heads. Idly Leia wondered if she was going mad these days.)

At Leia's trial, Anakin had got his own back by dressing her up in those stupid Jedi clothes and gleefully telling everyone and anyone about his erring Padawan.

(That striped bitch Ashoka had backed him up all the way.)

In return Princess Leia had to stand up in court (in those scratchy robes.) and promise not to try to murder her father ever again -at least not where she would get caught.

The net result of this farce was her public humiliation, and Anakin the Saint who had forgiven his would be killer...That round went to him...

Nowadays she no longer tried to murder her father. (Though she still wanted to.) He could get himself into trouble without dragging the rest of his misbegotten family with him. Until now, at least.

Until now.


	3. Chapter 3

HEREDITY 3 By Kondoru

Thanks to JP for betaing

Standard Disclaimers

The address Leia was directed to was a farm deep in the mountains of the southern continent. "So my father's taken up Nerfherding?" She asked Artoo.

Artoo for once had no reply to that.

There were no nerfs as far as she could see, but a herd of shrak fled when she plonked the Falcon down in their field.

A surprised looking girl in a rough fur coat came running up.

Leia strutted unnecessarily down the ramp. "Take me to your leader" she announced grandly. (Or as grandly as someone with an astromech droid who was making silly whistles behind them could manage.)

She was led up a muddy track to a big stone built farmhouse. It looked like something out of an old picture. The eaves were low and brooding, and the cobbled yard full of defunct machinery.

The girl led her to a porch as big as an aircar.

She pushed her way through a forest of boots and waterproofs in the porch and found herself in a farmhouse kitchen. The room was low and dark, with flagstone floors and an immense wooden table in the centre. The walls were hung with a miscellany of old pots and pans, a dusty stuffed fish in a glass case was next to a rack of huge and wicked looking knives. It was very domesticated looking. She was having difficulty in imagining her father in this distinctly organic environment. His natural habitat was a scrapyard.

But she remembered the many machine parts stacked outside. No doubt there was a real farmer somewhere here, -Anakin merely worked on machines as it was his lot as a cyborg to do.

The table was crowded with arcane and possibly mythological kitchen equipment. A grey haired old human woman was stood doing something to a pie. She shooed off a black furred Lothcat which had jumped up on the table.

"Why hello there" she looked up at Leia. "I didn't hear your aircar on the drive."

"They just landed a big ship in the South Hendrer field." Fur coat laughed. "I'm going to have to spend today in rounding up the Shraak." She didn't sound too bad about it. "Didn't you see the landing field just below the house?"

A Twi'lek child poked his/her head out from under the table. Leia wasn't interesting enough, so they retreated back into the darkness.

Leia decided not to apologise. "Where is my misbegotten sire?" She demanded.

The teenager doing the washing up at an immense stoneware sink turned to her. They seemed to be male in spite of the long brown hair. "I'm sorry, Miss. I don't know you."

Artoo gave a gleeful little shriek.

Long-hair recognised Artoo, of course, "Oh, it's Artoo-Deetoo. What are you doing here?"

Of course the boy would be one of Anakins droid freak friends, wouldn't he?

Artoo gave a long explanation in Binary, which of course the lad understood.

"You're here to visit Anakin Skywalker?" He looked up, and recognised the young woman whose face had been all over the holos these days. "And you must be Princess Leia Organa-Solo?"

(But of course, with the picture quality of Holos these days, it was not surprising he didn't recognise her...)

Grey hair shook her head to herself "Anakins got some odd friends" But luckily Leia didn't catch that.

"He's in his office." Leia was pointed to the corner of the kitchen. Leia decided to keep silent until she knew just what was going on here. She was ushered down a dark uneven corridor smelling of herbs and wet shrakskins and gestured to a door.

It bore a crude carved sign.

JEDI GRANDMASTERS OFFICE.

Leia, of course didn't knock, but barged in like a Wookie at an Ewoks picnic.

Her father was stood by the window, fiddling with something mechanical in its light. He turned to her with no hint of surprise.

(Of course he must have sensed her when she stepped out of the Falcon, if not when she had dropped out of Hyperspace.)

Anakin Skywalker resembled an older and insolenter version of Luke. Perhaps giving him the long overdue bacta treatment had been a tactical blunder. He was dressed in grubby grey trews and jacket, with a much mended tactical vest on top, pockets bulging with mechanical bits and tools. His feet were bare. Luke had the decency to keep his mechanics covered up...Darth Vader didn't care.

He bore a metal band inscribed with archaic runes around his neck. The Force blocking collar Leia had found in the Jedi temple relics in Palpatine's hoard. Luke had been very angry when he had found the use she had put it to.

"Why, it's my favourite Sithi princess," he leered at her as if he was addressing a delinquent five year old "come for cookies?" (It was obvious cookies were the best offer she was going to get this year.)

Leia managed not to punch him one and stepped inside the door.

Anakin gave a big smile "Cuddle?" He held his cybernetic arms wide in invitation.

Leia well knew that the specifics for Anakins top of the range mechanical limbs included the useful information that they were powerful enough to crush a Rancor. Idly she wondered who had signed such potent weapons over to a rather unstable man.

Leia stepped back shaking her head.

Anakin touched his collar to show he had not the Force. It was such a joke. Everyone knew that he didn't need the Force to cause mayhem. But Anakin loved playing the penitent...And submissive.

So Leia with only the slightest of shudders, gave the Galaxy's most notorious man a big hug, putting her arms affectionately around his neck. And deftly removing the collar. (It was unlocked, as she had guessed correctly.) She felt her father shudder as Force awareness flooded though him.

"Thanks, daughter." He replied ironically.

Leia handed him back the collar with a smile. Anakin donned it with unseemly haste.

Leia smirked happily at his discomfort.

Anakin glowered back but was distracted by the sight of Artoo in the doorway, (The astromech droid was whistling happily, as if he had seen an event he could use to chasten or blackmail Leia in front of others with.)

"Oh, Artoo! It is my Artoo!" he chundered gleefully. Artoo chirruped and warbled just as happily. Anakin hugged the astromech droid. He and the little robot went way back. Like Artoo, he was a relic of the Old Republic...Like Ms Tano.

Where was the Jedi?

"Ashoka around?" Leia was rather fond of the Jedi woman. (When she was not fangirling Anakin...)

"She's off hunting Akul," Anakin gave the standard answer to the query `where is that damned Togruta? `

"Ah." Of course the ever independent Ashoka would not be here. "Who are your friends?" Leia asked curiously.

"Oh those, that's my Darth Vader fan club." He gave a laugh, "actually they are Force sensitives. Come to train with old greyback here." (He gave the old term for a renegade Jedi. It was true wasn't it?)

"Be indoctrinated." His estranged daughter chided.

Anakins healed face bore a hurt expression. "That's not a nice thing to say. I teach them to think for themselves." He paused, "or do you Alliance yobs not permit that?"

"Hah!"

"Some are young and some old. All are free to bring their families." He smiled. "I don't steal younglings. And they are free to come and go as they please. Yes, it's remote here but I'm not running some Monastery." He paused. "I wanted a good environment for them to live in...Not like Tatooine." He smiled wryly.

"I'd like to see you get sand underneath your cybernetics." Leia suggested sadistically.

"Humph" Said Anakin. "I assume this is not a social visit to see how well your old fathers doing?"

"Go kriff yourself, you walking scrapheap." Leia said without really meaning anything.

She well remembered the sore covered `thing` that the Rebellion medics had pulled from the failing life support suit that Luke had dragged from the exploding Second Death Star. It was a grotesque lump of meat, studded with wires and tubes. It had smelt rather bad too, of rotting flesh. There was no way Darth Vader could be saved.

And Leia couldn't feel sorry. She felt gratified that her arch enemy had been laid so low.

She had wanted him dead.

Luke wanted him to live.

Leia modified that to wanting him alive and suffering. (He seemed to be doing a lot of that without any help from her.) And she had plans. Her threats of using Ysalmiri had pulled off. Denying Darth Vader access to the Force was Leia's ultimate revenge against the monster who had tortured her, -not once, but twice, though he had been cleared of the destruction of Alderaan and everything and nearly everybody she had cared for...He certainly was a willing party to that event. He was a soulless monster who was capable of nothing but destruction. He did not deserve the Force, the spiritual energy that he had abused so much.

Deprived of the Force he would die in misery...And Leia Organa would get her ultimate revenge.

And yet it had quite the opposite effect. Without the Force Anakin could remain at spiritual ease He could concentrate on learning to use his new limbs, he had a chance to become a human again. Not only that, people regarded him as being helpless. (He wasn't) and so demanded his pardon.

They regarded Anakin as purged of his Dark Side.

Both he and Leia knew that the Dark Side was still very much with him. It wasn't something you could shake off with any ease, not after over two decades of complete immersion in it.

(And the Dark Side was strong in her, she had come to realise.)

"I suppose you want dinner?" He asked.

"Yeah, maybe, unless I will get food poisoning here in the mud." Leia had only snacked in two days. If she could get a square meal off of her father...

He led her out and up a couple of steps to a new corridor, this one wider, evidently the public part of the farmhouse.

"This is the parlour," he gestured her inside. "I will be back in a minute, just tell my friends you are eating with me."

The parlour was a well kept room but had a telling unlived in smell. There was a coloured Shili carpet on the floor, and the big stone fireplace was decorated with faded dried flowers.

Leia sat down on the chair. It wasn't a bad place, though still old fashioned. It reminded her uncomfortably of her Alderaanian childhood. Naboo was not a dissimilar world. It was one of the conservative human occupied core worlds.

Leia had a good look around. There were some sentimental pictures of shraak and droids, and many of the family. She also saw a picture of Anakin, Luke and Leia by his side. She recognised her dress, the picture had been taken at one of her gala balls. Unusually Luke had come along. He did not like such events. Anakin had not been invited but it was never easy to keep him away. (The bastard had attended her wedding to Han in disguise. Han, that scoundrel, had just laughed.) Leia had not been permitted to kick her errant father out. The media loved `The Hero With No Fear` It was one of the heartening sentient interest stories of the end of the war, The villain who loved his son, and who protected him from the arch enemy at risk to his own life His harsh trial, his reformation and eventual healing.

And who had known that it was one of the Greatest of Jedi under the mask? A Man so great, he could even come back from the dead?

Truly the Galaxy loves a redeemed sinner.

Anakin was six inches shorter than his evil alter ego but he could still make an impressive entrance, in his long brown Jedi robes. And this event was a good time to see the happy family.

She remembered `Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Master, Hero of the Clone wars and widower, with his adult children, Luke and Leia. `

(Really it should have been something like `Darth Vader, renegade Sith, cyborg and war criminal with his deeply ashamed adult children...) but she didn't say anything to him...Not yet.

She had remembered Anakin had been in deep conversation with the Gungan Senator...of Naboo. So he had been seeking political asylum on this planet?

A Twi'lek woman, evidently the mother of the youngling in the kitchen came in bearing a tray of food.

Leia had resolved to spurn the food offered but it smelled so good.

"Your daughter is such a wonderful woman," She said.

Anakin beamed. "She takes after her mother." He said in a manner that clearly meant `she takes after her father`

"Yeah," was all Leia trusted herself to say.

"Help yourself." Anakin told his now hungry daughter. He let her fill her plate before taking the rest for himself. This was one of many ways in which Anakins life had improved dramatically; He could now eat and drink again. It had been a miserable (And messy.) part of his rehabilitation, getting his long atrophied digestive system to work again. But Anakin was determined not to live the rest of his life on protein shakes, he had resolved to show everyone he was indeed a human under the cybernetics.

He poured some wine from a dusty bottle with a faded handwritten label, evidently home brew.

Anakin handed her a glass and raised his in a toast. "To the Jedi of the future," He laughed.

Leia had to smile. "To the Sith of the future." she returned archly.

"Confusion to em all!" Anakin countered.

They ate in silence.

A sticky pudding later, Anakin settled down to tea and business. "Now, daughter...just what is on your mind? I sense great turbulence...Concerning me."

(You don't sense anything, -not with your Force damping collar on...)

Now it was out. "I came here to talk to you about this!" she slammed the chip down on the table, making the teacups dance.

Anakin pulled his holopad out from his belt and read the chip. He pursed his lips. "How is this causing you trouble?" He asked sadly. "It's never caused me trouble." He paused. "Nor did it ever cause Padme trouble."

"People are asking questions!"

"About my abnormal midichlorian count?" he put down his cup of tea. "Your husbands always lived on his luck." Anakin said without preamble. "Folk like that, -well, even if they are not Force sensitive, and many are, they still may well carry midichlorians in their blood."

"I suppose this is the lecture about the grandchildren you so selfishly want?"

"Oh, no. I was just telling you Jedi lore stuff. And I don't even know if it's true." He gave a laugh. "Let's face it, Most Jedi never had children. I don't think I trust their lore, -lore, I say because as far as I can remember, there was no research. Their lore on heredity."

"And you want me and Han as a guinea pig?" Leia snorted. "Or do you plan on jumping on the first force sensitive human female you may dredge up?"

"Take that back, daughter. I'm celibate." He said, and for a moment Darth Vader was back.

Leia wasn't frightened of `him` "Then what were you doing with Ashoka all those nights? Checking your cybernetics were properly calibrated? That bit's fleshy still."

"Don't you bring my Ashoka into this," he growled. But Leia could see her father was blushing. "You're doctors took semen samples from me you know...Quite without my consent, I might add...What do they intend doing with them?" His eyes were wide. "I don't know."

What he did not say was that he had been sterilised during his time in Alliance custody. It was tactically agreed that the operation could be reversed, indeed would be, should Anakin ever get married. However that was unlikely as he still was mourning Padme.

"Haha."

"I `am` the Chosen One you know...As far as anyone's been able to tell, my genetics are uniquely adapted to carrying midichlorians. Your prying geneticists have studied my DNA ...What do you think they found?"

Leia gripped her biscuit. It was pretty much public record. Her father's genes on her mother's side were ordinary Tatooine stock, nothing unusual there, but on his father's side he seemed to be a completely unidentifiable construct. There was speculation that `someone` had been tampering with him, trying to optimise midichlorians. (But who? Or what?)

And she was also a product of that experiment.

"Just `who` is your father?" She had asked Anakin that before, several times.

He had told her that he was born a slave, and when you are a slave, fathers don't matter. They are a luxury that you cannot afford.

"Do you want to know?"

"Yes," she practically shouted. "What of your darkness have I and my brother inherited? I'm sure you know the wild theories that the geneticists have cooked up? Some of them say you're not even a human. This puts my marriage to Han in a pretty awkward position legally, let me tell you."

Anakin shrugged. "Yoda speculated that it's the Force."

Leia crashed back onto her seat laughing.

"But Yoda was a bit cracked at times. He had spent many centuries in meditating." Anakin quantified. "I wouldn't trust him." He smiled, "Anyhow, my midichlorian count exceeded his...He must have been sooo jealous!" He laughed. "Why do you think you and Luke are both Force users? Padme has no history of the Force in her well documented family line."

It was evident that her wayward father was taking this too lightly.

Leia shook her head. As she had suspected, her father was less than helpful. But such was his nature. Anakin was a slave and so an expert at manipulating his master.

She was now his master. Leia sighed inwardly, He knew that was she to give the word, He would be taken into custody and never see the light of day ever again.

"Anyhow...it's not the Force you have...It's how you use it." Anakin explained patiently. "You can have Darth Vader as a father...or Anakin Skywalker. Dark and Light. Who do you choose?"

"Nature and nurture?"

"Exactly, -your children will have the Force, I think that's a certainty...There will be no brown robed fiends stalking the maternity ward looking to spirit your younglings away to be fodder for the Jedi's wars." He gave an evil laugh, "I made sure of that."

Leia had heard the old stories of Jedi stealing children. This was one less thing to worry about.

"Luke can train them...But I think I would like to be a wicked old grandfather sometimes."

His daughter had to smile. "Let me see what I can do."


End file.
